U.S. patent application number 13/848115 was filed with the patent office on 2014-05-01 for animal housing assembly.
The applicant listed for this patent is CENTRAL GARDEN & PET COMPANY. Invention is credited to Jason CASTO, Larry STERNAL.
Application Number | 20140116347 13/848115 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50545766 |
Filed Date | 2014-05-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140116347 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CASTO; Jason ; et
al. |
May 1, 2014 |
ANIMAL HOUSING ASSEMBLY
Abstract
An animal housing assembly includes a cage assembly coupled to a
base member to provide an enclosure for one or more animals to be
kept in captivity. The base member includes a slidable tray coupled
thereto, the tray being configured to move from a closed position
to an open position to allow cleaning of the base member. When in a
closed position, a portion of the tray forms a portion of the floor
of the base member. When the tray moves from the closed position to
the open position, the tray translates in a direction away from the
base member, thereby exposing an aperture defined in the floor of
the base member. The aperture may be shaped and/or sized to allow
debris to fall through the floor of the base member, thereby
allowing removal of unwanted debris and cleaning of the base
member.
Inventors: |
CASTO; Jason; (Lombard,
IL) ; STERNAL; Larry; (Bartlett, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CENTRAL GARDEN & PET COMPANY |
Walnut Creek |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50545766 |
Appl. No.: |
13/848115 |
Filed: |
March 21, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61613826 |
Mar 21, 2012 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
119/474 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K 1/032 20130101;
A01K 1/03 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
119/474 |
International
Class: |
A01K 1/03 20060101
A01K001/03 |
Claims
1. An animal housing assembly comprising: a collapsible cage
assembly configured to transition between an expanded state and a
collapsed state; and a base assembly for providing support for said
cage assembly when said cage assembly is in said expanded state to
form an enclosure, said base assembly comprising: a floor having an
aperture defined therein; at least one wall extending upwardly
therefrom and forming a cavity within said base assembly; and a
tray slidingly coupled to said floor, said tray being configured to
move between at least a fully closed position, wherein said tray
covers said aperture of said floor and forms a portion of said
floor, and a fully open position, wherein said aperture in said
floor is exposed.
2. The animal housing assembly of claim 1, wherein said tray and
said floor form a substantially continuous surface when said tray
is in said fully closed position.
3. The animal housing assembly of claim 1, wherein said floor has a
substantially rectangular shape and has first and second opposing
side walls extending upwardly from respective first and second
opposing sides of said floor and a third and fourth opposing side
walls extending upwardly from respective third and fourth opposing
sides of said floor.
4. The animal housing assembly of claim 3, wherein a portion of
said tray forms a portion of one of said first, second, third and
fourth side walls of said base assembly when in said fully closed
position.
5. The animal housing assembly of claim 3, wherein said first,
second, third and fourth side walls terminate at respective edges,
wherein at least one respective edge has at least one recess
defined thereon, said recess being configured to receive and retain
at least one protrusion extending from a portion of said cage
assembly.
6. The animal housing assembly of claim 1, wherein said collapsible
cage assembly comprises: a top panel having a substantially
rectangular shape; first and second walls rotatably coupled to
respective first and second ends of said top panel; and third and
fourth walls rotatably coupled to respective third and fourth ends
of said top panel and opposing one another; wherein, when said cage
assembly is in said expanded state, said first and second walls
oppose one another and said third and fourth walls oppose one
another to form a cage interior.
7. The animal housing assembly of claim 6, wherein at least one of
said first, second, third and forth walls of said cage assembly has
a protrusion extending therefrom and configured to be received
within a recess defined on a edge of said at least one wall of said
base assembly.
8. The animal housing assembly of claim 6, wherein at least one of
said first, second, third and fourth walls of said cage assembly
has at least one door for permitting entry into and egress from
said cage interior, wherein said at least one door is pivotally
supported and configured to move from a closed position to an open
position.
9. The animal housing assembly of claim 8, further comprising a
locking member configured to secure said at least one door in said
closed position.
10. The animal housing assembly of claim 6, further comprising a
shelf member having at least one bracket assembly configured to
couple said shelf member to at least one of said first, second,
third and fourth walls of said cage assembly.
11. The animal housing assembly of claim 6, wherein, when
transitioning from said expanded state to said collapsed state, at
least one of said first, second, third and fourth walls is
configured to rotate relative to said top panel in a direction
towards an opposing wall and be folded into a substantially flat
engagement with said top panel when in said collapsed state.
12. An animal housing assembly comprising: a collapsible cage
assembly configured to transition between an expanded state and a
collapsed state, said collapsible cage assembly comprises a top
panel having a substantially rectangular shape, first and second
walls rotatably coupled to respective first and second ends of said
top panel and third and fourth walls rotatably coupled to
respective third and fourth ends of said top panel and opposing one
another, wherein, when said cage assembly is in said expanded
state, said first and second walls oppose one another and said
third and fourth walls oppose one another to form a cage interior;
and a base assembly for providing support for said cage assembly
when said cage assembly is in said expanded state to form an
enclosure, said base assembly comprising: a floor having a
substantially rectangular shape and having an aperture defined
therein; first and second opposing side walls extending upwardly
from respective first and second opposing sides of said floor and a
third and fourth opposing side walls extending upwardly from
respective third and fourth opposing sides of said floor, said
first, second, third and fourth side walls and said floor forming a
cavity within said base assembly; and a tray slidingly coupled to
said floor, said tray being configured to move between at least a
fully closed position, wherein said tray covers said aperture of
said floor and forms a portion of said floor, and a fully open
position, wherein said aperture in said floor is exposed; wherein
said tray and said floor form a substantially continuous surface
when said tray is in said fully closed position.
13. The animal housing assembly of claim 12, wherein a portion of
said tray forms a portion of one of said first, second, third and
fourth side walls of said base assembly when in said fully closed
position.
14. The animal housing assembly of claim 12, wherein said first,
second, third and fourth side walls terminate at respective edges,
wherein at least one respective edge has at least one recess
defined thereon, said recess being configured to receive and retain
at least one protrusion extending from at least one of said first,
second, third and fourth walls of said cage assembly.
15. The animal housing assembly of claim 12, wherein at least one
of said first, second, third and fourth walls of said cage assembly
has at least one door for permitting entry into and egress from
said cage interior, wherein said at least one door is pivotally
supported and configured to move from a closed position to an open
position.
16. The animal housing assembly of claim 15, further comprising a
locking member configured to secure said at least one door in said
closed position.
17. The animal housing assembly of claim 12, further comprising a
shelf member having at least one bracket assembly configured to
couple said shelf member to at least one of said first, second,
third and fourth walls of said cage assembly.
18. An animal housing assembly comprising: a collapsible cage
assembly configured to transition between an expanded state and a
collapsed state; and a base assembly for providing support for said
cage assembly when said cage assembly is in said expanded state to
form an enclosure, said base assembly comprising: a floor having a
substantially rectangular shape and having an aperture defined
therein; first and second opposing side walls extending upwardly
from respective first and second opposing sides of said floor and a
third and fourth opposing side walls extending upwardly from
respective third and fourth opposing sides of said floor, said
first, second, third and fourth side walls and said floor forming a
cavity within said base assembly; and a tray slidingly coupled to
said floor, said tray being configured to move between at least a
fully closed position, wherein said tray covers said aperture of
said floor and forms a portion of said floor, and a fully open
position, wherein said aperture in said floor is exposed; wherein
said tray and said floor form a substantially continuous surface
when said tray is in said fully closed position.
19. The animal housing assembly of claim 18, wherein a portion of
said tray forms a portion of one of said first, second, third and
fourth side walls of said base assembly when in said fully closed
position.
20. The animal housing assembly of claim 18, wherein said first,
second, third and fourth side walls terminate at respective edges,
wherein at least one respective edge has at least one recess
defined thereon, said recess being configured to receive and retain
at least one protrusion extending from a portion of said cage
assembly.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present non-provisional application claims the benefit
of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/613,826, filed
Mar. 21, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated
herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to animal cages,
and, more particularly, to an easily cleanable animal housing
assembly.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The cleaning of animal cages may be a cumbersome and
relatively time-consuming task. The ownership of caged animals may
involve a compromise between not performing an inordinate amount of
cleaning and having a barely acceptable dirty cage. A number of
easy-to-clean animal cage assemblies have been suggested. Some
animal cage assemblies include rolls of paper adjacent to floors of
cages from which paper can be pulled across the floors to
periodically clean the floors. A major difficulty in the use of
these types of cage assemblies is that feed and other dry materials
may easily work their way under the paper and are not taken out of
the cages by pulling the paper across the floors. Additionally,
some animal cage assemblies require some form of disassembly in
order to clear debris (e.g., food, animal waste, etc.), thereby
requiring a degree of work necessary which may be undesirable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Features and advantages of the claimed subject matter will
be apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments
consistent therewith, which description should be considered with
reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of an animal housing
assembly consistent with the present disclosure;
[0006] FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views of one embodiment of a
base of an animal housing assembly consistent with the present
disclosure showing a slidable tray in first and second positions,
respectively;
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates a method of cleaning out an animal
housing assembly consistent with the present disclosure;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an animal housing assembly
consistent with the present disclosure including a shelf member and
a ramp member positioned within;
[0009] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the
animal housing assembly of FIG. 4 illustrating
[0010] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bracket assembly
configured to retain the shelf member within the cage assembly of
the animal housing assembly of FIG. 4;
[0011] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bracket assembly, shelf
member and ramp member consistent with the present disclosure;
and
[0012] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate methods of operating a locking
member of a animal housing assembly consistent with the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] The present disclosure is generally directed to an animal
housing assembly configured to provide a relatively easy means of
cleaning debris, including, but not limited to, food particles,
animal waste and/or animal bedding from the housing. Generally, an
animal housing assembly consistent with the present disclosure
includes a cage assembly coupled to a base member to provide an
enclosure for one or more animals to be kept in captivity. The base
member may include a slidable tray coupled thereto. The tray may be
configured to move from a closed position to an open position to
allow cleaning of the base member. More specifically, when in a
closed position, a portion of the tray forms a portion of the floor
of the base member. When the tray moves from the closed position to
the open position, the tray translates in a direction away from the
base member, thereby exposing an aperture defined in the floor of
the base member. The aperture may be shaped and/or sized to allow
debris to fall through the floor of the base member, thereby
allowing removal of unwanted debris and cleaning of the base
member. The animal housing assembly may further include a locking
member configured to provide a means of selectively securing one or
more doors permitting access to the cage assembly in a closed
position.
[0014] An animal housing assembly consistent with the present
disclosure may provide a user with a relatively simple means of
cleaning the housing with relatively minimal effort. More
specifically, unwanted debris may be removed from the animal
housing assembly without requiring cumbersome disassembly of the
housing, such as removal of the cage assembly from the base member.
Additionally, an animal housing assembly consistent with the
present disclosure may provide safety and security, particularly in
regards to restricting access to the contents of the housing.
[0015] Turning to FIG. 1, an exploded view of an animal housing
assembly 10 consistent with the present disclosure is illustrated.
Generally, the animal housing assembly may include a cage assembly
12 coupled to a base member 14. The cage assembly 12 may include a
first set of opposing walls 16a, 16b, a second set of opposing
walls 18a, 18b, and a top wall 20. As shown, each of the walls
16a-20 may be substantially flat and planar and may be coupled to
one another such that the cage assembly 12 is substantially
rectangular in shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the walls
16a-20 may include a wire grill configuration. It should be noted
that in other embodiments, the walls may include other
configurations generally understood by one of ordinary skill in the
art.
[0016] The walls may be coupled to one another by a variety of
known fastening methods and means. For example, some of the walls
may be coupled to one another by way of one or more hinges,
snap-fit members, hooks, and the like. The cage assembly 12 may be
of modular nature such that all of the walls may be separated from
one another. The cage assembly 12 may further be of knock down
construction, where some of the walls may be folded into a
substantially flat arrangement while still coupled to adjacent
walls.
[0017] Some of the walls may include one or more doors for
permitting entry and egress from within the cage assembly 12. For
example, wall 16a may include a door 24 pivotally supported so that
it may move from a closed position (not shown), in which the door
24 is substantially parallel to the wall 16a, to an open position,
in which the door is substantially perpendicular to the wall 16a.
Similarly, the top wall 20 may include a door 25 permitting access
to the cage assembly 12 via the top wall 20. Some of the walls may
further include protrusions 22 extending therefrom, wherein the
protrusions 22 may be configured to couple the cage assembly 12 to
the base member 14, described in greater detail herein.
[0018] The base member 14 may include a floor 26 and side walls
28a-30b extending upwardly about the entire periphery of the floor
26, thereby forming a cavity 32 within. As shown, the base member
14 may be substantially rectangular in shape, such that side walls
28a, 28b oppose one another and side walls 30a, 30b oppose one
another. The side walls 28a-30b may terminate at an edge 34
extending along a periphery of an open end of the base member 14.
As shown, the edge 34 may include one or more recesses or slots 36.
The slots 36 may be shaped and/or sized to receive the protrusions
22 extending from one or more walls of the cage assembly 12,
thereby allowing the walls of the cage assembly 12 to securely rest
upon the edge 34 of corresponding sidewalls of the base member 14.
For example, protrusions 22 extending from walls 16a, 16b of the
cage assembly 12 may be received within corresponding slots 36
defined on the edge 34 of side walls 28a, 28b of the base member
14. Similarly, protrusions 22 extending from walls 18a, 18b may be
received within corresponding slots 36 on the edge 34 of side walls
30a, 30b.
[0019] It should be noted that the cage assembly 12 may further
include a locking mechanism 48 (shown in FIG. 4) to secure the cage
assembly 12 to the base member 14. For example, as shown in FIG. 4,
one or more pivoting latches 48 may be located on the cage assembly
12 to selectively engage a portion of the base member 14 with at
least a wall of the cage assembly 12. As generally understood by
one skilled in the art, the pivoting latch 48 may include flanges
configured to extend under the edge 34 of the base member 14 to
hold the cage assembly 12 to the base member 14 when the latch 48
is in the closed position. It should be noted that in other
embodiments, other types of known locking mechanisms may be used,
such as rotating knobs, snaps, etc.
[0020] Turning to FIGS. 2A and 2B, perspective views of a base
member 14 consistent with the present disclosure are illustrated.
As shown, the base member 14 may include a slidable tray 38 coupled
thereto. More specifically, the tray 38 may be configured to move
between a first position (shown in FIG. 2A) and a second position
(shown in FIG. 2B), and any position therebetween. FIG. 2A
illustrates the tray 38 in a first position (e.g. closed position)
in which a top surface of the tray 38 and the floor 26 of the base
member 14 form a substantially planar surface. More specifically,
when in a closed position, a portion of the tray 38 may form a
portion of the floor 26 of the base member 14, as indicated by
arrow 40.
[0021] FIG. 2B illustrates the tray 38 moving from a closed
position to the second position (e.g. open position) to allow for
cleaning of the base member 14. As shown, the tray 38 may be
configured to move in direction away from a sidewall of the base
member 14, as indicated by arrow 42. The tray 38 may be slidingly
coupled to base member 14 by means generally known and understood
by one skilled in the art. For example, the floor 26 of the base
member 14 may include channels configured to receive tracks defined
on sides of the tray 38 or vice verse (e.g. base member 14 includes
tracks configured to be received within channels defined on sides
of tray 38). The tray 38 may further include a locking member (not
shown) configured to securely couple the tray 38 to the base member
14 in a closed position and prevent the tray 38 from being moved to
the open position. The locking member may further be configured to
be disengaged, such that the tray 38 may be moved from the closed
position to the open position.
[0022] As the tray 38 moves from the closed position to the open
position, an aperture 44 defined in the floor 26 of the base member
14 is exposed. The aperture 44 may be shaped and/or sized to allow
debris to fall through the floor 26 of the base member 14, thereby
allowing removal of debris and cleaning of the base member 14.
[0023] FIG. 3 generally illustrates a method of cleaning out an
animal housing assembly 10 consistent with the present disclosure.
When the animal housing 10 is to be cleaned, relatively few steps
are required. As shown, a user need only open a door 24 of one of
the walls of the cage assembly 12 to access and clean the housing
10. While the tray 38 is in the open position, a user need only
sweep any unwanted debris (e.g. food particles, animal bedding,
animal waste, etc.) into the aperture 44, wherein the unwanted
debris may fall through the aperture 44 and out of the base member
14. A user may position the base member 14 over a waste receptacle
46, such that any unwanted debris may be collected therein. As
shown, a user need only gain access to the interior of the housing
assembly 10 in order to clean debris therefrom. More specifically,
rather than disassembling the cage assembly 12 from the base member
14, a user need only place the tray 38 in an open position and open
a door 24 to gain access to the interior of the housing assembly 10
in order to clean.
[0024] The base member 14 may include one or more durable materials
configured to provide relatively easy clean up of material wastes,
including animal excrement. The material may include, but is not
limited to, either natural or synthetic materials such as polymers
and/or co-polymers. Examples may include polyurethane, latex,
natural rubber, nylon (polyamides), polyester, polyethylene,
polypropylene, PVC, fluoroplastics, block copolymers, polyethers
and composites thereof. The floor 26 of the base member 14 may
further include a coating configured to provide relatively low
friction that may provide improved cleaning performance. For
example, the coating may be one that inherently rejects the
attachment of animal waster and thereby provides a user with a much
easier task of maintaining a clean surface and sanitary
conditions.
[0025] Turning to FIGS. 4-7, a variety of accessories configured to
be included within an animal housing assembly 10 consistent with
the present disclosure are illustrated. FIG. 4 is a perspective
view of an animal housing assembly 10 including a shelf member 50
and a ramp member 52 positioned within. The housing assembly 10 may
further include a feeding dish 56 positioned on a portion of the
shelf member 50. The animal housing assembly 10 may further include
a locking member 58 configured to provide a means of selectively
securing one or more doors of the cage assembly 12 in a closed
position, described in greater detail herein.
[0026] Generally, the shelf member 50 may be retained within the
cage assembly 12 by way of bracket assemblies 54 secured to
opposing walls (e.g. walls 18a, 18b) of the cage assembly 12. As
shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a bracket assembly 54 may be removably
coupled to portions of the wire grilles of a wall of the cage
assembly 14 by way of snap-fit connection with the grille wires.
The bracket assembly 54 may include a body 60 having one or more
receiving portions 62a, 62b configured to receive corresponding tab
members 64a, 64b. As shown, the body portion 60 may include a
location feature 66 configured to receive a grille wire 68 (grill
wire 68 in vertical orientation) when the body 60 is positioned on
an interior of the wall. Upon receiving the grille wire 68 within
the location feature 66, the tab members 64a, 66b may be coupled
with the corresponding receiving portions 62a, 62b of the body such
that grille wires 68 in horizontal orientation are positioned
between the body 60 and the tab members 64a, 64b. Coupling the tab
members 64a, 64b with the receiving portions 62a, 62b secures the
body 60 to the wall.
[0027] Turning to FIG. 7, the bracket assemblies 54a, 54b, shelf
member 50 and ramp member 52 consistent with the present disclosure
are illustrated. As previously described, the bracket assemblies
54a, 54b may be configured to retain the shelf member 50 within the
cage assembly 12. More specifically, each bracket assembly 54
include a channel 70 defined along a length of an interior surface
of the body 60. The channel 70 may be shaped and/or sized to
receive a corresponding track 72 and protrusion 74 defined along an
outer edge of a side of the shelf member 50. The shelf member 50
may include opposing sides, each of which includes a track 72 and
protrusion 74 extending therefrom configured to be received within
a corresponding channel 70 of the bracket assemblies 54a, 54b. The
shelf member 50 may slide along the bracket assemblies 54 and may
provide ease for the user when cleaning the housing 10. Aside from
being completely removable, the shelf member 50 may also be
configured to tip (e.g. hang) from the bracket assemblies 54. More
specifically, the protrusions 74 may provide an axis about which
the shelf member 50 may pivot in certain positions. This may
further increase the flexibility as far as configurations are
concerned. The ramp member 52 may be securely coupled to a portion
of the shelf member 50 by way of snap-fit means 76.
[0028] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate methods of operating a locking
member of one or more doors of the animal housing assembly
consistent with the present disclosure. Generally, the locking
member 58 may be provided to secure a door 24 of the cage assembly
12 in a closed position. As shown, the locking member 58 may
include a handle 78 and a selectable locking switch 80. The locking
member 58 may include a means of engaging (e.g. locking) and
disengaging (unlocking) a portion of the wire grille of a wall upon
which the door 24 is positioned. The handle 78 may be manipulated
(e.g. pulled in a first direction) so as to disengage the locking
member 58 from the wire grille and allow the door 24 to open.
[0029] The locking switch 80 may be configured to prevent movement
of the handle 78, thereby effectively preventing the door 24 from
being opened. For example, in one embodiment, the locking switch 80
may be moveable between a disengaged position (e.g. open) and an
engaged position (e.g. lock) as indicated by arrows 82. When the
locking switch 80 is in an engaged position, the locking switch 80
may prevent the handle 78 from moving and when the locking switch
80 is in a disengaged position, the handle 78 may be moved.
[0030] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is
provided an animal housing assembly. The animal housing assembly
includes a collapsible cage assembly configured to transition
between an expanded state and a collapsed state and a base assembly
for providing support for the cage assembly when the cage assembly
is in the expanded state to form an enclosure. The base assembly
includes a floor having an aperture defined therein, at least one
wall extending upwardly therefrom and forming a cavity within the
base assembly and a tray slidingly coupled to the floor. The tray
is configured to move between at least a fully closed position,
wherein the tray covers the aperture of the floor and forms a
portion of the floor, and a fully open position, wherein the
aperture in the floor is exposed.
[0031] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure,
there is provided an animal housing assembly. The animal housing
assembly includes a collapsible cage assembly configured to
transition between an expanded state and a collapsed state. The
collapsible cage assembly includes a top panel having a
substantially rectangular shape, first and second walls rotatably
coupled to respective first and second ends of the top panel and
third and fourth walls rotatably coupled to respective third and
fourth ends of the top panel and opposing one another. When the
cage assembly is in the expanded state, the first and second walls
oppose one another and the third and fourth walls oppose one
another to form a cage interior.
[0032] The animal housing assembly further includes a base assembly
for providing support for the cage assembly when the cage assembly
is in the expanded state to form an enclosure. The base assembly
includes a floor having a substantially rectangular shape and
having an aperture defined therein and first and second opposing
side walls extending upwardly from respective first and second
opposing sides of the floor and a third and fourth opposing side
walls extending upwardly from respective third and fourth opposing
sides of the floor. The first, second, third and fourth side walls
and the floor forming a cavity within the base assembly. The base
assembly further includes a tray slidingly coupled to the floor,
the tray is configured to move between at least a fully closed
position, wherein the tray covers the aperture of the floor and
forms a portion of the floor, and a fully open position, wherein
the aperture in the floor is exposed. The tray and the floor form a
substantially continuous surface when the tray is in the fully
closed position.
[0033] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there
is provided an animal housing assembly. The animal housing assembly
includes a collapsible cage assembly configured to transition
between an expanded state and a collapsed state and a base assembly
for providing support for the cage assembly when the cage assembly
is in the expanded state to form an enclosure. The base assembly
includes a floor having a substantially rectangular shape and
having an aperture defined therein and first and second opposing
side walls extending upwardly from respective first and second
opposing sides of the floor and a third and fourth opposing side
walls extending upwardly from respective third and fourth opposing
sides of the floor. The first, second, third and fourth side walls
and the floor forming a cavity within the base assembly. The base
assembly further includes a tray slidingly coupled to the floor,
the tray is configured to move between at least a fully closed
position, wherein the tray covers the aperture of the floor and
forms a portion of the floor, and a fully open position, wherein
the aperture in the floor is exposed. The tray and the floor form a
substantially continuous surface when the tray is in the fully
closed position.
[0034] While several embodiments of the present disclosure have
been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in
the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or
structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the
results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and
each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within
the scope of the present disclosure. More generally, those skilled
in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions,
materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be
exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials,
and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or
applications for which the teachings of the present disclosure
is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to
ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many
equivalents to the specific embodiments of the disclosure described
herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing
embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within
the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the
disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically
described and claimed. The present disclosure is directed to each
individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method
described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such
features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if
such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods
are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the
present disclosure.
[0035] All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be
understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in
documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of
the defined terms.
[0036] The indefinite articles "a" and "an," as used herein in the
specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the
contrary, should be understood to mean "at least one."
[0037] The phrase "and/or," as used herein in the specification and
in the claims, should be understood to mean "either or both" of the
elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively
present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases.
Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements
specifically identified by the "and/or" clause, whether related or
unrelated to those elements specifically identified, unless clearly
indicated to the contrary.
* * * * *